Mayim Bialak on life after Blossom

The former Blossom star shakes up tonight's finale of The Big Bang Theory as geeky Sheldon Cooper's love interest. She talked to us about her Hollywood hiatus, what brought her back and her secret to eating healthy.

SELFyStars: You’ll be making an appearance in tonight’s finale of The Big Bang Theory as a potential love interest for the brilliant but socially inept Sheldon Cooper. What can viewers expect from your character?

Mayim Bialik: I’m a super nerd, so it’s definitely my kind of show and I’m excited to be a part of it. The audition required that I be the female version of Sheldon, but I think I’m even weirder than him. We’re really going to explore what it looks like for Sheldon to completely be himself with someone else–I promise I won’t be changing who he is is! He’ll still be the same ‘ol Sheldon.

When Blossom ended, you left Hollywood and got a degree in neuroscience. Did you always know you’d come back to acting or were you ready to leave it behind?

In 1994, it wasn’t all that cool to be on a sitcom if you wanted to have a long acting career, so it felt like a good time to get away. I finished my degree and was planning to go the research/professor route, but reconsidered when I realized I wouldn’t be able to be there for my kids as much as I wanted to be. People are surprised when I say this, but an acting career, especially in sitcoms, is surprisingly very flexible.

How did it feel to start auditioning again?

Like most actors, I’m pretty insecure so it was really my husband that encouraged me to give it another shot. I wasn’t sure if the acting world would still be interested in me now that I’m an adult. I’m not everybody’s cup of tea, but I guess I just need to be enough people’s cup of tea for them to hire me, ha!

You’ve had a number of recurring roles on TV shows recently, including Secret Life of the American Teenager. How did being on a teen show today compare with your experience on Blossom?

It was very different. We had to get permission just to say safe sex–now you can watch people have safe sex! And young actors today and are much more polished and sophisticated than I ever was. I think there’s a lot more pressure for the actors–and even the viewers at home–to live up to this glamorous ideal.

You’ve had a lot of personal and professional success, while other child stars haven’t been so lucky. How do you think you were able to avoid that fate?

It’s hard to know. I came from a very traditional family and was a little shy and immature for my age, so wasn’t all that into partying. But I don’t think you can say, “Oh, if only their parents had done this” or “if only they’d gone to college.” I know it’s not that simple and I feel very fortunate.

You’re now the mother of two boys. How has this role changed your life?

In a lot of ways, motherhood has brought me to my knees. It’s forced me to re-evaluate my priorities in life and accept that I can’t do everything perfectly. But I love that I get to use my intelligence, my creativity and just be myself with my kids. And they get to see that sometimes it’s hard for Mama to cook dinner and keep everybody happy, but that’s just part of how families work together. Trying to create this environment where you’re always “perfect” isn’t healthy. You’re their mom so you might as well give it your best shot, but it’s important to remind yourself that it’s ok if it’s not always gratifying and picture-perfect.

What’s your secret to eating healthy while juggling a career and motherhood?

I’m the spokesperson for the Holistic Mom’s Network, a non-profit support organization for parents interested in green living. And one of the things we do is share easy, healthy recipes, which is so helpful since we’re a vegan family are always looking for new ways to get healthy protein and fat from non-animal sources. I’ve discovered that nuts are perfect alternative and one the best ways to mimic our favorite flavors. This recipe for Vegan ricotta cheese stuffed pasta shells is super simple, fast and healthy.

Vegan Ricotta Cheese and Ridiculously Easy Stuffed Shells

2 cups raw nuts (cashews and macadamias are my favorite)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp sea salt

1 28 oz jar of marinara sauce

1 1b package of large pasta shells

Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION

Vegan ricotta cheese: Place nuts in a bowl, cover with water and soak 2 hours for cashews, overnight for macadamias. Drain. Puree nuts, basil, oregano and sea salt in a blender until smooth.